New Marcus Henderson Apparition Signature Guitar from Epiphone

Submitted by GSite_Editor on Tue, 01/06/2009 - 10:25.

Marcus Henderson has joined forces with Epiphone Guitar of Nashville, TN to design and create the new "Apparition" signature guitar. With a shape reminiscent of an Explorer or Futura, the new Apparition takes guitar design to the extreme with sharper angles, a unique "patent-applied-for" All-Access heel contour and high-performance pickups, controls and hardware to create a guitar that's perfect for every guitar hero.

The new Apparition starts with an active set of EMG humbuckers including an EMG-81 pickup in the bridge position and an EMG-85 in the neck position. With their distinctive tone capable of high output levels with zero noise, EMG's are ideally suited for high-volume hard-rock and metal. Controlling the two pickups is a Master Volume and Master Tone with 3-way pickup selector. For the first time ever, a momentary, spring-loaded "kill-button" comes standard and allows the player to create amazing effects - particularly in combination with the tremolo. Equipped with a double-locking, Floyd Rose original tremolo and a special designed tremolo cavity, pitch can be lowered or raised with excellent return-to-pitch accuracy. Epiphone's new "patent-t-applied-for" StrapLocks are included with every Apparition making sure that this guitar will not fly off the strap even under the most extreme performance conditions.

To allow Marcus, as well as all other guitar warriors, complete and easy access to all of the Apparition's 24 nickel/silver Jumbo frets, Epiphone engineers came up with a new "All-Access" heel design. With a carved-out flat area that extends well past the heel and glued-in neck joint, this design makes playing high up the neck as effortless as never before. Adding to the Apparition's playing speed and comfort is Epiphone’s "SpeedTaper" satin finish neck. Originally designed for the new Prophecy collection of guitars, this U-shaped neck profile allows for blistering guitar riffs with minimal fatigue.

The body of the Apparition is solid Mahogany topped with highly figured, hand-stained Quilt Maple. Combined with a solid Mahogany glued-in neck creates a deep rich tone with excellent sustain. Both the neck and the six-on-a-side headstock are bound to create a smooth and finished appearance. To add a finishing touch to this one-of-a-kind axe, adorning the Apparition's Ebony fingerboard in mother-of-pearl and centered at the 12th-fret are inlaid "Crossed Scythes." All-metal, pearl inlaid knobs compliment the guitars Midnight Ebony finish while Marcus' signature on the back of the headstock completes the package.

I tried one. It's sooo sweet. A true shredder. It sounds great, looks great and plays like nothing else made. It comes with a "real" floyd rose and EMG's for less than a thousand. It's a no brainer - Just buy it - I did and I can't put it down.

The $1000 price range is the sweet spot for finding great guitars with exceptional value. The guitars listed here have tone, features and specifications that matches, if not rival, more expensive models.